Come September / October 2012 it had changed quite a bit. With hindsight, I should have noticed the changes sooner but when you see something every day the changes are difficult to notice. It was now less of a mole and more of what I would describe as a wart. It was larger too, now about the size of a baked bean and its colour had changed. It was now a very dark brown colour, almost black. Finally, and I think looking back, this is what triggered the real alarm bells in my mind, it had started to become a little rough on top and raised a little. It was still just a single colour and almost a perfect oval but the increase in size, change in colour and the fact it had started to become raised made me concerned about it. I went back to Google and searched for melanoma mole images. Nothing even remotely like my mole came back. Everything was completely jagged edged and 2 or more colours. Maybe I was just worrying about nothing. I put it to the back of my mind again, although found myself checking Google every second or third day just in case a different search term flagged up an image matching my mole. Around mid-October, I was worried enough to show Kathy again but this time it was with more concern and the reason for showing her was to get her opinion on whether or not I should get it checked. She said it was probably fine but maybe I should see the doctor, just to get it looked at. I also showed my Mum who used to be a nurse. Her opinion was the same. She didn’t rush to dial 999 but thought it was probably best to see the doctor. I agreed and decided to call my GP the next day to make an appointment. The next day I spent 5 minutes at work looking on Google and I got myself into a real state. I don’t think I necessarily read anything I hadn’t before but it was as if I was reading everything through different eyes this time. All previous times I had been looking at things I had been trying to persuade myself that all was really fine and therefore it was easy to make a bigger deal of things in my favour and dismiss the things that could have been seen as a concern. A bit like reading your horoscope – you make the message fit your own situation…..so I’m told! This time however, I read the same articles but with more concern in my mind and therefore interpreted things very differently. Suddenly the asymmetric and jagged borders characteristics were a bit of a so-what but the fact it had grown so much, changed colour and was raised were standing out like a sore thumb. I got myself into a bit of a state very quickly. I called the doctors immediately. They could see me in about 10 days but I couldn’t deal with that. I went for the walk in and wait clinic that afternoon which would mean a good 90 minute wait in a room of coughing and groaning people but it would also mean I would know my fate that afternoon. I told my MD who is also one of my best mates, Geoff, that I had to go and see the doctor as I had discovered a concerning mole and as always he was totally understanding. He probably thought I was over reacting completely and I was hoping he was right.